Cotton-chopper.



No. 694,474. Patented Mar. 4, I902. A. L. HOC|(ET T.

COTTON CHOPPER.

(I40 Modal-r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AARON HOCKETT, OF MASTODON, MISSISSIPPI.

COTTON-CHOPPER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 694,474,' dated March 4, 1902 Original application filed December 14, 1899, Serial No. 740,278. Divided and this application filed January 24, 1901. Serial No. 44,531. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

, Be it known that I, AARON L. HOOKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mastodon, in the county of Panola and State of Mississippi,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Choppers;

full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to a novel cot-,

To the accomplishment of this end the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my chopper, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof: Fig. is a fragmentary view showing lever 36 and contiguous parts in elevation.

The reference-numeral.ldesignates a yoke constituting the main frame of the machine and provided at its rear ends with bearings for an axle 2, upon which are loosely mounted carrying and driving wheels 4.

The numerals 5 and 6 designate ratchetwheels fixed upon the axle 2, one adjacent to and concentric with each of the wheels 4,

which latter are each provided with a springpressed pawl 7, adapted to engage the ratchetwheels to cause the axle to revolve with the wheels or to be disengaged from the ratchets when it is desired to move the machine without operating the chopping mechanism.

8 designates a frame for supporting the chopping-wheel shaft and comprising a block or body portion of wood and metal arms or straps 9 and 10 for securing the frame 8 to the axle at an angle to the latter. The arm 9 is curved, as shown, and the forward ends gear 15, secured to the shaft 2.

of botha'rms 9 and 10 are formed with openings,through which extends the axle 2. Upon the frame 8, which is grooved or hollowed out on itsu'pper surfaces, are arranged semicircular bearings 11, provided with annular l 3 bearing flanges or rings 12. and I do hereby declare the following to 'be a '2; but it is prevented from moving longitudinally thereof by collars a, pinned to said shaft and abutting the yoke. The arms 9 and 10 are capable of sliding longitudinally of the shaft 2 to move a bevel-gear 16, to be described, into and out of-inesh with a drive- The arm 10 extends in between one fork of the yoke 1 and a collar 14, fixed to the axle. A spiral spring 13, surrounding the axle 2, interposed between this collar and the arm 10, serves to exert a tension to hold the gears before mentioned' in mesh. To disengage the gears, the arm 10 is pushed back against the tension of the spring, which shifts the frame 8 laterally and moves the gear 16 out of mesh with the gear 14. :This action is accomplished by alever 36, pivoted to the yoke 1, as shown in Fig. 1, having a cam end that enters between said arm and the adjacent face of the yoke 1 as the lever 36 is operated and wedges or .mined by the character of the work.

At one side of the frame 8 and secured thereto by-the arm 9 is a sleeve 20, having a longitudinal slot at its rear side. Within this sleeve is loosely supported a vertical shaft 21, formed at its rear side with a series of depressions 22 to receive teeth 23,,projecting from a toothed segment 24, pivotally secured to a bracket 25, projecting from the frame 8 and having a lever-arm 26 connected by a rod 27 with a lever 28, fulcrumed upon the yoke-frame 1 and having a pawl 29 and finger-piece 30 cooperating with a ratchetsegment secured to the main frame. The shaft 21 projects from a bracket 31, having parallel ears between which is mounted a feed-wheel 32 upon a shaft 33. The rear end of the bracket 31 is formed with a loop or eye-34, into which projects a guide-pin 35, depending from the frame 8 and serving to guide the bracket 31 in its vertical movement.

The present application is a division of an application filed by me December 14, 1899, Serial No. 740,278.

I claim 1. In a cotton-chopper, the combination with the driving-wheels and axle and billing means supported therefrom, of a choppingwheel, a shaft carrying the same, driving means interposed between said shaft and the axle, and a frame supporting said shaft comprising a block and supporting-arms extending therefrom secured to the axle and shiftablo thereon, means for shifting said frame in one direction and means for returning the 25 same, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, a chopping-wheel comprising a hub and a plurality of radially-projecting blades arranged in a series of groups, each blade comprising 0 a stem fitted in said hub and a wide free end forming a continuation of the stem.

3. In a cotton-chopper, the combination with a chopping-wheel shaft and the main frame, of a frame for supporting said shaft 35 comprising a block and arms, a bracket, a vertically adjustable feed wheel mounted therein, a slotted sleeve secured to the block by one of said arms, a shaft extending into the sleeve from the bracket, and means for 40 AARON L. IIOCKETT.

\Vitnesses:

W. H. WALL, W. D. WALL. 

